Food Intelligence King

Chapter 47 Feng Shui Issues
A rent of 50,000 yuan a year is really reasonable.

After Ms. Lin finished looking at the basic information about the store, she quickly sat down after hearing the price.

Chen Zhou spoke with her for a while, then said to his aunt:

"We can accept this price, but we would like to know more about the store's facilities, such as ventilation and utilities."

The aunt told the two of them not to worry.

Four restaurants used to operate here, and although three of them have indeed gone out of business, they had the same operational problems as us.

In terms of infrastructure, it's quite comprehensive and doesn't lag behind.

It has water, electricity, and gas; the ventilation and drainage systems have all been upgraded.

Moreover, since the shops are independent and not adjacent to residential buildings, they don't affect the neighbors much, so you can open your shop with peace of mind.

The uncle then led Chen Zhou and his family of three on a second tour, inside and out.

Indeed, as he said, even the exhaust vents were moved to a location far away from the residence.

The old aunt recalled:
"The tables and chairs were left by the first tenant, and the decoration style was inherited from the cake shop. She also added 380V electricity. When my husband and I started doing it ourselves, we also changed the ventilation and purification system."

Hearing his wife's words, the uncle couldn't help but complain to Chen Zhou:

"This is the fifth one. I don't know if this store is just incompatible with something."

Chen Zhou and his wife inspected the store and became increasingly satisfied.

"The ventilation and drainage are both fine, and the feng shui is actually quite good."

However, the failure of four restaurants in a row has indeed made my uncle a little insecure.

He further relaxed the conditions for Chen Zhou:
"Xiao Chen, if you're willing to rent, you can use these things as you like. We have nowhere to put them after we move. Also, if you don't like anything, you can modify it yourself. We don't expect you to restore it to its original state."

Of course, besides rent,
There are also property management fees, utilities, heating and other expenses that Chen Zhou needs to pay himself; these are not included in the rent.

These fees are a significant expense for opening a shop, but they are necessary regardless of where you rent a place, so it's reasonable.

After sitting down again, the old aunt even took out the contracts of the previous two tenants and showed them to Chen Zhou.

"When we were landlords, we only thought about how to collect rent. Running a restaurant is different; there are so many more things to consider."

Regarding the rental period,

My aunt requested payment annually, and wanted to receive a year's rent as soon as the contract was signed.

Chen Zhou expressed his understanding.

He remembered that his aunt had said before that she only earned enough to cover the rent each year, and now she definitely wanted to see cash as soon as possible.

The rental tips recommend shortening the payment period as much as possible, ideally paying every quarter or six months.

As for my aunt's side, the rent was already quite reasonable. She even saved herself the money for renovations.

Human hearts are reciprocal.

He said he could accept it.

The old couple were overjoyed when they heard Chen Zhou agree.

Because the previous tenants paid their bills every six months or quarterly, and there's still one tenant who owes me 15,000 yuan.

Now that they can receive a year's rent, they feel at ease.

Then there's the issue of how many years the contract should last.

My aunt didn't want to change tenants every year, so she decided to sign a three-year lease this time and renew it when it expires.

She remained cautious. But she also promised Chen Zhou:
"Don't worry, Xiao Chen, we won't raise the rent during this period. It will be written into the contract later."

After addressing some minor issues, both parties made concessions and drafted a new contract.

They signed it on the spot.

Because Auntie had a pleasant working relationship with Chen Zhou, and Chen Taotao called her "Grandma" a few more times, she was given a 20-day rent-free period until the end of the month.

"Xiao Chen, we'll be moving out in the next couple of days. We'll keep in touch anytime."

Chen Zhou replied with a smile, "Okay, don't worry, I'll transfer the money to you on Friday."

The aunt felt that Chen Zhou was a very reliable person, saying, "We trust Xiao Chen to get things done."

Her uncle reminded her, "You should call him Boss Chen now. You keep calling him 'Little Chen' all the time."

The aunt changed her tune and said:

"Well then, Mr. Chen, I wish you booming business! Keep up the good work, your aunt has high hopes for you."

"Thank you for your kind words."

The breakfast stall was a place of sorrow and sweat for my uncle, so he had no attachment to it at all. After Chen Zhou left, he urged my aunt to pack her things quickly.

While cleaning the tea set, he said:
"If it weren't for wanting to try his steamed buns again, I would never want to come to this place again."

After leaving the house, Chen Zhou said to his wife:

"I don't know why, but the more I look at this shop, the more satisfied I am with it. The three-year lease is up, so I'll try to find a way to take it over."

The shop rental deal was finalized, although it cost 50,000 yuan, which was quite a painful expense.

But Chen Zhou also had a clearer sense of the future.

She maintained her original intention in making steamed buns, ensuring food safety and hygiene, and preserving the delicious taste of the buns.

This shop is definitely a good business opportunity.

Ms. Lin was also happy for Chen Zhou, whose husband had already turned the catering business into a career.

Now everyone has to call him "Boss Chen".

She suddenly remembered that she had made an appointment with the rental and sales center to view the house, and asked Chen Zhou if she should tell them again.

Chen Zhou remembered that Manager Gao had taken him to see it, and thought it would be more appropriate to let him know.

So I made a phone call.

The young woman at the rental and sales center said it was nothing; many people look at houses but don't buy them.

But after hearing that Chen Zhou had rented the breakfast shop next door, I was still a little puzzled.

Because of her connection with Manager Gao, she said a few more words:
"Brother Chen, everyone says this shop has feng shui problems."

No problem, the ventilation and drainage are both working perfectly.

Chen Zhou replied with a smile, "We'll be neighbors from now on. Come and try it when the shop opens."

In the evening, Chen Zhou even had more energy to set up his stall.

He also put a sign on the steamed bun cart to inform customers that a shop would soon be opening in the ground floor shops of the residential complex.

Some regular customers commented, "These steamed buns are indeed suitable for breakfast."

But the core issue remains—

"As long as they haven't moved out, it's fine."

"With your steamed bun stall around, I feel like the happiness index in our neighborhood has gone up."

The trust of the diners is also the source of Chen Zhou's confidence.

The person who was happiest about this was none other than Teacher Tony.

When he arrived a little later, he was delighted to find that Chen Zhou had actually opened a shop, and it was located in the Old Aunt's Breakfast Shop.

"I thought you'd slowly bring their store down, but I didn't expect you to just rob their whole place! You're amazing, bro!"

Chen Zhou remembered the grudges and entanglements between him and his aunt.

He joked, "Don't worry, I'll just put a ring of tape around the bottom of the trash can, and it definitely won't be pushed towards you."

Tony chuckled and scratched his hair. "Tch, I'm not the kind of person who nitpicks!"

"Besides, isn't that right in front of the tobacco and liquor store?"

Chen Zhou watched as Tony, carrying steamed buns, headed towards the tobacco and liquor store.

It seems that within the small circle of ground-floor shop owners, it probably won't be long before everyone knows they're moving there.

(End of this chapter)